Ground Wasps

[hatuffej]

I discovered a nest of ground wasps next to my outside water faucet. It was stinging discovery, to say the least. I have buried the entrance 3 times now and sprayed it with wasp killer. They are determined little rascals, digging out each time. The current score is wasps 4, hat 0.

hat

[Stick486]

ammonia...

lots of it...

[lew]

Get one of those Tiki torches and take it off the pole. Wait until it's dark outside then light the torch and set it near the nest entrance. Disturb the nest and RUN! they come out, see the flame and fly into it. I know, I'm a heartless cur.

[Grandpadave52]

21 minutes ago, hatuffej said:

The current score is wasps 4, hat 0

I promise I won't be playing for the championship Too much swelling at the end of the game.

[Chips N Dust]

I have always waited till dark or near dark then saturate the hole/entrance and ground around it with Wasp & Hornet Killer (the stuff that can shoot 10' or more). That has always killed ground nests for me.

[HandyDan]

Gasoline through a funnel after dark.  Light it up with a rag on a long pole for a real show.

[p_toad]

Ah, can't recommend the gas right next to the  house...   try some of the granulated stuff or some plain old powdered boric acid dumped right into the entrance (at night and full dark only).   Yes, you may use a flashlight, but only long enough for a good aim as i've had ground hornets come right out at night...  and they weren't happy.  

[Al B]

I've had my experience with these stingers. While expanding my lawn area a number of years ago , the rear wheel of my lawn tractor suddenly sank into the ground. Hundreds, ( seemed like thousands) of ground bees were swarming around me. I was covered with stings on my face,neck, arms and back by the time I got to the house. After dark, I managed to get the tractor out of the nest, then poured kerosene in the nest and lit it. Once the fire went out, I poured more kerosene and re fired it. The bees may have won the first battle but I won the war.

[HARO50]

Skunks are your friends! I get at least one yellowjacket nest a year, sometimes four or five. The only one the skunks didn't clean out was inside the wall of the attached garage. The striped b*s*a*d* ate through 3/4" cedar siding, 3/4" Ten-Test, TWO thicknesses of 2X10, and the drywall, then continued their nest into the cavity under a step. Three or four applications of foam did next to nothing, so I used a Shop-Vac to suck them up, and lots of aerosol wasp killer down the hose. All the other nests were cleaned up by my little black-and-white buddies by the second night! Skunks think hornets are DELICIOUS!!

John

[Gene Howe]

 

4 minutes ago, HARO50 said:

The striped b*s*a*d* ate through 3/4" cedar siding, 3/4" Ten-Test, TWO thicknesses of 2X10, and the drywall

Until I re read it, I thought the striped things were horribly voracious skunks. 

That must've been quite an ordeal eliminating that nest. 

That skunks love hornets was news to me. Interesting fact.

[hatuffej]

So far, a heavy shot of foam wasp killer in the hole followed by a shovelful of dirt seems to be working.

Thanks to all!

hat

[hatuffej]

4 hours ago, It Was Al B said:

I've had my experience with these stingers. While expanding my lawn area a number of years ago , the rear wheel of my lawn tractor suddenly sank into the ground. Hundreds, ( seemed like thousands) of ground bees were swarming around me. I was covered with stings on my face,neck, arms and back by the time I got to the house. After dark, I managed to get the tractor out of the nest, then poured kerosene in the nest and lit it. Once the fire went out, I poured more kerosene and re fired it. The bees may have won the first battle but I won the war.

I can't imagine the horror of that experience. It would be all-out war. I hope that you were not seriously affected other than multiple stings and swellings.

hat

[Grandpadave52]

1 minute ago, hatuffej said:

So far, a heavy shot of foam wasp killer in the hole followed by a shovelful of dirt seems to be working.

Thanks to all!

hat

Good to know...not a pest to engage in battle...

Your method beats the skunk approach IMO.

I prefer not to engage in battle with them either. After-math when the dogs do is traumatic enough.

[Fred W. Hargis Jr]

I've used the gasoline in the hole and light it trick once or twice and it seemed to work. Luckily I've only ran into the ground nests of the yellow jackets once or twice.

[Al B]

17 hours ago, hatuffej said:

I can't imagine the horror of that experience. It would be all-out war. I hope that you were not seriously affected other than multiple stings and swellings.

hat

Jeff, after the stings, the alcohol I used to clean the stings added a little more pain, but otherwise no side effects.

[HARO50]

1 hour ago, It Was Al B said:

the alcohol I used to clean the stings

Internal or external?

John

[Al B]

Maybe I should have opted for the internal type! It might have eased the pain.

[schnewj]

On 8/3/2018 at 7:08 PM, It Was Al B said:

Maybe I should have opted for the internal type! It might have eased the pain.

The only thing that eases that pain is time! Even after the pain goes away the swelling lingers.

[schnewj]

On 8/2/2018 at 6:15 PM, HARO50 said:

Skunks are your friends! I get at least one yellowjacket nest a year, sometimes four or five. The only one the skunks didn't clean out was inside the wall of the attached garage. The striped b*s*a*d* ate through 3/4" cedar siding, 3/4" Ten-Test, TWO thicknesses of 2X10, and the drywall, then continued their nest into the cavity under a step. Three or four applications of foam did next to nothing, so I used a Shop-Vac to suck them up, and lots of aerosol wasp killer down the hose. All the other nests were cleaned up by my little black-and-white buddies by the second night! Skunks think hornets are DELICIOUS!!

John

@HARO50 So, John, how do you get the skunks to show up...help wanted ad in the local newspaper, Craig's list, what?

[HARO50]

11 minutes ago, schnewj said:

@HARO50 So, John, how do you get the skunks to show up...help wanted ad in the local newspaper, Craig's list, what?

We are blessed with an abundance of the sweet critters in this neck of the woods. No ads, Facebook, or Kijiji needed... they just show up whenever there are yellowjackets (or those annoying white grubs) waiting to be devoured. As a sideline, they'll also dig out moles, voles, mice (meeses ?) and shrews. Just keep the dogs indoors at night!

John

P.s.  WE lost one of our black-and-white friends a few years ago. Found his/her head up on the roof one morning. No, skunks can't fly. But they are the preferred food of the Great Horned Owl, another resident of the northern woods.